The Imprint of Love
by HPFangirl71
Summary: Love is strong... But is it as strong as a vampires will? Jacob imprinted on Renesmee... But will his beloved Nessie return his feelings or break his heart beyond repair?
1. Jacob's Hopes Denied

THE IMPRINT OF LOVE

ByHPFangirl71

He watched her running through the woods with her mother, both of them looking extremely beautiful under the soft glow of the moonlight. His focus though was on the younger of the two beauties, the girl who'd grown into the object of all his fantasies in such a short amount of time.

Jacob had been so surprised as the feelings for "his" Nessie turned from brotherly and protective to romantic and sensual. The sight of her bronze colored curls blowing lightly in the breeze was erotic to him. Reining in these strong feelings of love had been almost impossible but Jacob would never risk hurting or scaring Renesmee.

For so long she'd been the object of his affections. Since birth she'd been the most important person in his world. Unbelievably, more important than family or friends, even more important than his wolf pack. Those feelings had only grown and deepened in the past couple months.

Ten long years had passed since her birth yet the woman in the woods resembled that of a full grown woman. The changes in her body had both frightened and excited Jacob. He feared her rejection of him… Renesmee had never been told of the wolf imprinting, she only knew that Jacob was overly protective of her and spoiled her in any way possible. He was her best friend and nothing more. Her parents felt she had the right to choose on her own… to not be pressured by Jacob or his pack. Her parents and family were all vampires so who was Jacob to disagree.

Jacob quickly phased from his wolf form to join the two women hunting in the woods. Hearing his approach Renesmee turned from the antelope who's blood she'd been depleting, to look up at Jacob with a glowing smile on her pale face. "Jacob, you're here! Where have you been?" Jacob looked at her with adoration, "Hey it hasn't been that long Nessie." he answered her. "Well you never stay away for long." she stated. "Its been a couple days now, we missed you." A soft blush colored her ivory skin as she spoke to him. With much guilt in his heart, Jacob gave her a story about his dad being sick. Renesmee quickly accepted his story.

The two hunters finished their meals quickly and then the three of them headed for the main house. Jacob felt nervous being near Renesmee since his thoughts were no longer strictly platonic. Jacob spent the evening with Nessie, the two of them curled up on the sofa together. The rest of the family was off doing their own thing. It was a comfortable way to spend the evening, yet in the back of his mind Jacob wished for so much more…

Nessie's head was laying lightly on Jacob's shoulder. She looked up at him, "So… who's the lucky girl you've been spending all your time with lately?" She asked curiously. Jacob was surprised by her question, "Nessie… what makes you think it's a girl?" he asked. Renesmee got up quickly and sat in the chair across from Jacob so she could look at him better. Her movements were a bit too fast for a human but Jacob was used to them. "Look… I'm not stupid Jake… There are four couples living in this house. I know how this romance thing works. You've been moody and distant… you rarely stay away from here even a night but lately your gone for three or four days. I understand… you need someone in your life besides me and the wolf pack. I'm not mad, but please at least be honest with me." Jacob looked into her dark eyes and knew that now was the time for truths. She needed to know his feelings, he only hoped she'd feel the same.

A huge grin plastered across his face as he joked, "Okay Ness, you're on to me… yes, there is a woman in my life." Renesmee leaned forward expectantly and grasped Jacob's warm hands in hers. "How could you keep this from me?! Who is she? When can I meet her?" she gushed excitedly. With a serious look, Jacob looked again into those chocolate orbs of hers, so full of love and excitement for him. He wanted that look to remain forever. He took a deep breath and said what he'd been longing to say for a very long time…

"Nessie hon, you can't meet her cause she is you. I'm in love with you and only you. That's why its been hard to be here… knowing you might not return my feelings." She looked at Jacob with a surprised look crossing her delicate features. "Jake… I don't know what to say…I wasn't expecting this. I thought one of the girls on the res had caught your fancy… Its a lot to process. I mean… you're my best friend but I'm not sure if my feelings are like that.", she said falteringly.

A brief look of hurt crossed Jake's face and immediately Renesmee regretted her words. "Its not like I don't love you Jake cause I do! Its just… I'm not sure how deep that love goes. You're my best friend and I don't want to hurt you, so please understand that I need time to think this over…" she cried out desperately. Jake reached out to run a hand through her curls. "Its okay Ness… I understand… I was expecting this." he said with a tone of sadness in his voice. "I don't want to hurt you either but I have to go now." Sadly Nessie said "Okay, but promise you'll come back soon."

As Jacob stood up to leave, he looked back at her and said, "Of course I'll be back. After all… how can I stay away from the woman I love." Once he was outside he quickly stripped and phased into his wolf form. In this form he could run from the pain and the hurt which were threatening to break him apart. Inside Renesmee looked out the window to see the shadow of a wolf sprinting into the forest. She heard its mournful cry and felt the warmth of hot tears running down her cheeks. What had she done and how was she ever going to fix this…


	2. Nessie Learns The Truth

**THE IMPRINT OF LOVE Chapter 2**

**By HPFangirl71**

**A/N: This is only the 2nd chapter and I sort of have an idea of how i want this story to go in my head but in order to get there, I needed this chapter so i hope it came out okay cause it was pretty hard to write..... sorry if its a bit rough around the edges but feel free to comment me on how ya liked it!! **

It had been several weeks since the russet colored wolf had sprinted off into the night. No one had heard from Jacob… Both Renesmee and Bella had been checking in periodically with the wolf pack, but even they had heard nothing. Jacob was keeping his thoughts from them though his feelings of heartbreak had broken through to the members of his half of the pack. Seth had been by everyday at Jacob's request to keep an eye on Renesmee. Jacob had gone to see him before he left to explain his absence. Leah held bitter feelings toward Nessie so she never accompanied him to the Cullen's. Nessie herself was racked with guilt over the way Jacob had left.

It was a tranquil picture at the Cullen house… Seth had just left, Edward and Bella sat at the piano, the girls were poring over fashion catalogs, the guys watching football, while Renesmee sat glued to the window silently trying to will Jacob back home. "Why won't he come back?! Why can't he just let me explain?!", she suddenly burst out. She turned to look at her family with unshed tears brimming at her eyes. "Why is he being so stubborn about this?!", she continued. Bella looked at Edward and no words needed to pass between them. Silently, he understood what she wanted from him.

Edward swiftly crossed the room to put his arms protectively around his daughter. "Jacob can't help how he feels… We should have told you sooner, but we thought we were protecting you." She looked up into her father's liquid gold eyes, "Daddy, what is it?" she questioned. Edward hesitated at first but then he met her chocolate brown gaze. She had Bella's human eyes and he could deny her nothing…

Swiftly the words poured out as he told her of the wolf imprinting and how Jacob's imprinting on her had totally changed their relationship with the wolf pack they had once been enemies with. Edward finished his explanation and looked hesitantly at his daughter. He was trying hard not to delve into her thoughts and to give her the privacy she needed. A blank stare adorned her face as she quietly got up and walked outside. "Edward…??", Bella implored him. "Its alright Bella love… We've put a lot on her very suddenly, she needs some time to be alone." Edward said with a sigh.

As Renesmee stormed out into the cold night, she had no idea where to go or who she could trust. How could her parents have kept this from her? If she'd only known about the imprinting she could've been prepared for Jacob's feelings to change. It was possible hers would've changed with his. She'd always known her relationship with Jacob was different. The way he hovered over her, always clinging nearby. He'd been almost obsessively jealous of Nehuel when he'd visited a couple summers ago and still seemed overly protective of her relationship with the half vampire boy. She'd just always thought of it as brotherly love.

Nessie sat down on a moss covered rock under a nearby tree. She'd run several miles since leaving the house. She looked down at the Quileute bracelet Jacob had given her for her first Christmas. Her father had always grimaced at the sight of it and now she knew why. It was more than a mere token of friendship but one of future commitment. How could they place this upon her shoulders? Jacob's future happiness now lay within her hands… She didn't know what to do to make things right.

She sat thinking about things for several minutes… She thought of Jacob's handsome face and goofy grin. She missed him dearly. Suddenly she began wondering if Jacob came back, would her feelings for him change as his for her had. She didn't see any reason not to try. She needed Jacob in her life and it was the only way she knew to get him to come home. She got up and quickly set out for her grandparents house, she needed Charlie and Sue to find Seth, it was the only way to try to get Jacob back where he belonged…

She had gone to Charlie and Sue's house only to find Seth lazing around in front of the TV… they were soon headed out into the woods so Seth could phase into wolf form and try to get a message to Jacob to return home. It had been several hours and yet Jacob had sent no messages to Seth. Finally, in frustration Renesmee sat on the stump of a tree and let her tears fall freely… Seth walked up to her and laid a paw on her lap trying in vain to comfort her. Suddenly he moved behind a tree and walked out in his human form… "Don't worry Ness, Jacobs on his way home." Nessie looked up at him unbelievingly, Seth explained to her how when he was trying to comfort her that Jacob had seen the image of her crying in his head. "What did he say to you?", she was slowly calming down but still feeling a bit upset. Seth looked at her and said, "He was actually talking to you. He said "My Nessie… Don't cry… I'm coming home… I'll be there as soon as I can." It worked… he's gonna be back soon!", Seth seemed genuinely pleased with himself. Renesmee wiped away her tears, hugged him tight and thanked him. Soon, her Jacob would be home, back where he belonged and she only hoped she would be able to give him the homecoming that he deserved…


	3. The Wolf's Return

**The Imprint of Love By HPFangirl71**

**Chapter 3 (The Wolf's Return)**

_A/N: This was a really hard chapter to write... I wanted to delve more into the feelings and relationship of the characters cause there isnt much in the books to go on... This chapter is bit of fluff but hopefully its fluff that is needed for the storyline so i hope everyone enjoys reading it, who knows... maybe its not as bad as i think. LOL We do seem to be our own worst critics. Be sure to send me reviews so i know how well im doing, thanks!!_

The Cullen house was completely quiet. Renesmee was waiting all alone… The rest of the family was away hunting while she sat waiting nervously. She wasn't sure how to feel about Jacob's imminent return. He'd let Seth know he was less than a day away. She had asked Jacob to return but was uncertain how she should react when he arrived. She knew Jacob was in love with her but she still didn't know how deep her own feelings could go. She was determined though to try to make Jacob happy so he'd stay, but could she be that convincing?

She caught his scent on the air. His wolf scent which had always drawn her attention, while the rest of the family had complained about its stench. To her it was a smell that comforted her. Today, it made her both happy and a bit tense. Jacob was finally coming home to her! She heard a sharp knock at the door and could feel her heart jump just a bit.

With inhuman speed she answered the door. He stood there, his large hulking frame practically spilling through the doorway. A smile crossed his face when he saw her. She quickly returned his smile and threw herself into his arms. Jacob wrapped her in his embrace and held her close to his t-shirt clad chest. He buried his face in her curls and whispered, "Ah Nessie…I'm sorry I went away. I never meant to hurt you. When I saw you in Seth's mind, it tore me up inside." His voice was cracking as he spoke.

Renesmee looked up into Jacob's dark eyes. "I want to be yours." she whispered invitingly. Her hand reached up to trace his jaw line. She reached around to pull his head down to hers. Her lips tentatively brushed against his. She parted her lips to allow Jacob full access to her mouth. Jake tightened his grip on her as his lips hungrily fed on hers. The demanding heat of his kisses frightened her but she allowed him to continue. Their embrace became more intense and sensual. Jake's lips traveled down her neck as his hands reached up under her blouse to caress her back. She felt their incredible heat against her bare skin.

"Wait Jacob… I don't know if I can do this." she cried out. Jacob quickly pulled away. He walked over to the couch to sit, placing his head in his hands. "I don't get it Ness…You started this, I thought it was okay… What is it you want from me?" He looked up at her with a pleading stare. She went to sit next to him and placed a hand gently in his hair. "I just wanted you to stay with me… I was afraid you'd go away again." she whispered as tears threatened to fill her eyes.

Jacob's eyes filled with hurt. "Is that what you thought Nessie? That you had to seduce me in order to make me stay…Don't you realize that your more important to me than that?" She looked up at him with a guilty heart. "I didn't know how else to make this right for you. I wanted the imprint to work, that's why I decided to try seducing you… I'm sorry Jake." The tears were now falling freely down her cheeks. Jacob looked at her with a fierce look in his eyes. "How do you know about the imprint? Who told you?"

Renesmee looked up at him with confusion written on her face. "My father told me. I thought you wanted me to know…" Jacob got up and paced for a few minutes, not sure how to explain what he was feeling. Finally he crouched down in front of her. He wrapped her hand in his as he began to speak.

"The wolf imprint is very strong Ness… that's why your parents didn't want you to know. We wanted you to have the freedom to choose." Jacob looked at her with pure adoration. "I wanted you to choose me… but I don't want you to think you have to choose me. I only left cause I was so confused. Ness, you've grown up so quickly. The past few years, I've waited and waited… hoping someday maybe we could be together. I just didn't expect my reaction when that day came. I didn't expect your grown up body to excite me so much. It makes it hard to be around you."

Renesmee looked at him with an impish grin which showed off her sharp teeth. "Do I really excite you Jakie?" she asked him incredulously. It was hard for her to imagine her Jake feeling anything but friendship for her. She was a bit pampered by the elder vampires in the house but no one had ever spoiled her more than her Jake. He had always been there, loving and protecting her. Always giving in to her every whim and desire. How had she not seen his reaction to her changing? How could she not see him withdrawing from her? It saddened her to realize how much things would change without Jake in her life.

Jacob was slightly embarrassed by admitting his desires out loud to her. She had gotten so quiet. He wondered what she could be thinking. After several moments, he asked her what was on her mind.

Nessie was sure she'd never be able to convey it in words so she got up, walked over to him and placed her hand a squarely on his cheek. Suddenly Jake's mind filled with her saddened images. Images of himself pulling away from her, their friendship changing, and finally of him leaving her all alone. The images inside her mind left Jacob's heart chilled. He pulled her hand away from his face in shock.

Jacob's mind was numb from her pain, yet somehow he found the words to try to explain… "No Ness, that's not the way its going to be. I'll always be a part of your life… if you want me to be. That's why I left… to get my head back on straight. To figuire out how to deal with my feelings for you. I tried staying away from you sweetie but I can't… I love you too much and like it or not, I'm sticking around."

She looked at him with a look of relief on her face. "Oh Jake… I was so worried that I wouldn't see you anymore if I couldn't return the imprint. I wanted it to work out and maybe it still will but I guess I just need some more time for it to happen. I just didn't want to hurt you…" With that she allowed Jacob to wrap her again in his embrace which was both warm and comforting. This time she didn't feel the urgency or demands of before, just the love and protection that had always been there….


	4. Uneasy Compromise

**The Imprint Of Love Chapter 4 **

**By HPFangirl71**

**A/N: So far this fic has been about feelings and character exploration, sorry if you were hoping for more smut but I decided to delve into the characters inner feelings more with this story instead of my usual smuttiness!! I do hope though that everyone enjoys it and I'm sure that sometime soon we will get to some smutty goodness!! Thanks for sticking with me and reading this story!!**

Compromise… It was the key to their relationship now. Somewhere between friendship and lovers was their purgatory. Jacob wished for more than friendship while Renesmee battled her feelings for Jacob. She was hesitant to call them love. They had decided to continue as friends but had agreed to a more intimate physical contact. Nessie enjoyed Jake's kisses, yet they also frightened her and sometimes made her uncomfortable. This made their peaceful purgatory flame up into an unbearable hell.

A couple months had passed since Jacob had come home. His relationship with Nessie had changed drastically. It felt more intimate, yet at times he felt her pulling back from him. It frustrated him incredibly.

Their physical contact was also hard on Jacob. The way Nessie's body made him feel filled Jacob with guilt. He knew she wasn't ready yet it was hard for him to stop. He finally understood how Edward had felt with Bella. Always wanting something you couldn't have. Constantly being careful and in control. He sometimes felt like Nessie was teasing him, but he knew she was only innocent to his desires. She would be the death of him yet...

Renesmee found her relationship with Jacob to be confusing. They were just friends, yet they shared a level of physical contact and emotional intimacy that was often shared by lovers. She couldn't bear it whenever Jacob wasn't around but was frightened to place a name on her feelings for him. She enjoyed his kisses. They both frightened and excited her. She sometimes wondered about letting the kisses go further. This thought had upset her father when he'd seen it in her mind. He had promptly insisted that her mother talk to her about things like morality, propriety, and self respect. He had also banned Jacob from the house after midnight. She vowed never again to think such thoughts around her father in case he were listening in.

Jacob understood that Bella and Edward were only acting in their daughter's best interest. It hurt him though to know they didn't trust him, especially Bella. He needed them to realize he had only good intentions towards Nessie even if his libido sometimes disagreed. His private fantasies would never get the best of him. He was in control and would never allow Nessie to do anything she'd regret later. His fantasies would only come true if Nessie was truly ready for them to. Right now she was too confused to make that kind of physical commitment and Jacob understood that.

The time had come… the time they had long dreaded. Bella and Edward had known that someday the effects of the wolf imprint would culminate in this. Jacob's feelings for their daughter were no longer simply platonic. Jacob's intentions towards Renesmee were always clearly defined. The wolf imprint gave him no choice. They had often wondered if Renesmee still deserved a choice. That's why they had denied her knowledge of the imprinting. They were very protective of their only child and knew of only way to insure her a true choice in the matter…

It was an unusually sunny day for Forks. Jacob and Renesmee were strolling hand in hand along La Push beach. They walked along in silence, each lost deep in thought. Jacob was thinking about how good it was to be alone with Nessie. Far away from the prying eyes of the other Cullen vampires. Renesmee was thinking about something far more serious. She had something to tell Jacob and was dreading how he was going to react. She was hesitant to bring up the subject but knew she had no choice.

Finally, she broke the silence. "Jacob, we need to talk about something…" He stopped in mid step and turned to face her. She looked serious which worried him. "What is it Ness? What's wrong?" he questioned. She looked away, afraid to face his gaze knowing what she was about to do to him. "I got a letter last week. Nehuel's coming for another visit… he'll be here in a couple days.", she blurted out. Jacob let go of her hand and started to back away. Hesitantly she looked up… his face was filled with anger, his fists were tightly clenched. She met his gaze which was stormy and full of hurtful rage. She knew he was trying hard not to phase, especially with her so close. "Jacob, please calm down. We need to talk about this…" she whispered quietly knowing it was in vain.

Jacob could feel the heat rising within. The rage inside was hard to control but he willed himself to try. How could Nessie have kept this from him? She knew the difficulty he had concerning her friendship with Nehuel. Jacob took in a deep breath, trying desperately to calm himself.

He wanted to be supportive of Nessie but he felt such a jealous rage inside. He felt threatened by Nehuel. He wanted Nessie as much as Jacob himself did. This thought frightened Jacob. Why did he have to come now? When Jacob was making such progress in his relationship with her… Jacob knew Nehuel would be competition and that was the last thing he needed. Especially from another half human vampire. Nehuel and Nessie were one and the same, how on earth could Jacob compete with that…?


	5. Nessie's Choice

**The Imprint Of Love… by HPFangirl71**

**Chapter 5 (Nessie's Choice)**

**A/N: This story is very non canon, full of angst and very non canon ships**

It was just another rainy day in Forks when the young vampire arrived on the Cullen steps. Nessie was there to greet him with a friendly smile upon her face. Her Jacob was no where to be found. He had promised never again to leave her but he couldn't hang around here so he'd taken off to Billy's. This angered Nessie greatly. Nehuel entered the house, clearly uncomfortable in the American garb he'd donned to fit in. He was put quite at ease though with Renesmee and her family.

He took her hand and gently kissed it. Nessie felt a faint blush creep upon her cheeks. The feel of his lips sent a tingle up her spine. Renesmee was surprised at how quickly she'd forgotten Nehuel's handsome and powerful stature. They were only friends, but Nehuel's intentions had always been at the forefront of that friendship. This visit somehow seemed different. Perhaps because Nessie was more receptive to his feelings for her. She was most thankful for her parents and Aunt Alice's presence today.

The day flew by. The two young vampires basked in each others company, sharing stories about family and friends. Nehuel and his aunt were doing well in the South American jungles. One of his sisters had fled their father and taken refuge with Nehuel and his aunt. Nessie in turn told of her Grandpa Charlie's marriage to Grandma Sue. Their wedding had taken place just two summers ago, just after Nehuel's last visit. She was surprised at how comfortable she felt with him.

Eventually Nehuel excused himself for the evening since he planned to travel out of town to hunt. That's when Nessie on a whim called Jacob. She had missed him by about ten minutes at Billy's. With disappointment she hung up, only to be startled several minutes later by a knock at the door. Her Aunt Rosalie sniffed the air repulsively and stated _"Well Ness, looks like your dog couldn't stay away after all…" _She and Uncle Emmett got up and excused themselves upstairs.

The room was terribly quiet as she answered the door. There stood Jacob with a look of angst and guilt upon his face. He looked as if he were about to run at any moment. _"Thought you were staying away."_ she stated in a cold and icy voice. Inwardly, she was glad for the tortured look that passed across his face.

_"Look Ness, I came to say I'm sorry."_ His voice was cracking with raw emotion, which almost made her feel some remorse. Unfortunately for Jacob, she wasn't in a forgiving mood.

He couldn't blame her for being upset. After all, he had abandoned her today. He reached out a hand to caress her cheek. Nessie pulled away, turning her back on him. Jacob let out a sigh, he'd known this wouldn't be easy with Renesmee's temper. She could be awfully hotheaded at times. Jacob blamed that on being Bella's daughter.

He walked up behind her and let his fingers begin massaging her neck. Nessie's muscles didn't get sore but the feel of Jake's warm touch on her icy skin felt amazing. Casually she asked him how Billy was. Jake smiled as he answered her, knowing she wasn't going to stay mad after all.

She turned around to look at him. She could see the outline of muscles straining through his thin

t-shirt. She let him wrap her within those muscles. A part of her desired Jake in an almost animalistic way, but the other part was unsure, always hesitant. She didn't resist when his lips met hers. The warm heat of his body felt comforting and yet also exciting.

She looked up and saw love, desire, and devotion in Jake's eyes. He needed her, but did he really want her for herself or only because of some tribal imprint? Would he have chosen her without the ties of the imprint? This thought scared her. Being with Nehuel today had changed her thinking. Would she be content with a man enslaved to her by magic? She pulled herself out of his embrace and took a seat on the couch. Nessie had come to a terrible decision…

Jake was confused by Nessie's actions and followed her to the couch. He ran his fingers through her curls, patiently waiting for her to speak. She looked up after several minutes. _"Jake… I think we should spend some time apart. Time spent seeing other people, weighing our options."_ Jake looked at her with a horrified look on his face and whispered just one word, _"Why?"_

Renesmee looked into those obsidian eyes and saw the edge of pain glaring back at her. She hated hurting him this way but her feelings were torn between Jake and Nehuel. She needed the space…_ "I need to be sure your love for me is real and not just the imprinting. After this afternoon, I need to be sure of my feelings for you too."_

Jacob looked at her with anger seething behind his pain. He roughly grabbed her wrist, forcing her palm to his cheek. Renesmee tried in vain to hold back the memories. They came bubbling to the surface. Visions filled Jacob's mind. Visions of her and Nehuel walking hand in hand through the forest, laughing together here in the house, and finally of a tender goodbye… he felt her feelings as Nehuel's lips pressed against her cheek during that goodbye and her excitement at knowing she'd see him again tomorrow.

His hold on her tightened and she winced, not in pain but rather fear. Jacob was angry and wolves phased when they were angered. He was too close and it scared her. _"Please Jacob let go…"_ she pleaded._ "I don't want to end up like Emily!"_ she screamed at him.

Her outburst shocked him into letting go. Pain washed away the anger. Unbearable pain and a fear of his own. The fear of losing her. He got up to leave but turned to her and whispered _"How could you doubt my love for you Ness? After everything I've done for you…"_ With that he quickly fled the house.

His body quivered as he transformed into the russet wolf. In this form, he ran. Ran to the only person he knew could possibly understand his pain. He was running to Leah…


	6. Leah & Jacob Share Their Pain

**The Imprint Of Love Chapter 6 (Leah & Jacob Share Their Pain)**

**By HPFangirl71**

**WARNINGS: Non Canon ships, mildly derisive language and lots of smut!!**

She sensed him even before the late night knock on the door. Something about Jake being the Alpha of their pack had always made Leah and the others more aware of his presence. She wondered what could possibly bring him here this late at night. She heard Charlie answer the door and usher him inside.

Leah was upstairs trying hard to ignore the conversation downstairs. Suddenly, there was a knock at her bedroom door. She opened it to find a despondent Jake clad in nothing more than a thin pair of shorts. Leah had always been physically attracted to Jake even though their relationship had always held an antagonistic edge to it. His appearance here tonight both shocked and intrigued her.

She saw the pain ebbing in his eyes like a tidal wave as she reached out for his hand. Jake pulled her into his arms, not able to hold it in any longer, he fell crying on her shoulder. _"I can't do this… Leah, I can't! How to hell can I live without her?"_ Of course, this was why Jacob was here. The nasty little half leech had finally broken his heart. Leah seethed inside even though she'd known this day would come.

Leah knew Jake had come here for comfort. He expected her to somehow make the pain go away. She pulled out of his embrace and sat him down on the edge of her bed. She lifted his head up to look him straight in the eye. Fresh grief flowed across his face. She wiped away his tears and spoke in her usual brusque Leah fashion. _"Pull yourself together Jake and tell me what happened!"_

The tone of her voice was exactly what he needed. She was right, he needed to pull it together. What good were tears when his whole world was crumbling. It was hard to talk about but why else had he come here._ "Nessie wants to be with him. I saw it in her thoughts. She's all but chosen him over me. I thought the imprint would eventually make her see things my way but I was wrong. I don't have a choice in loving her but she does have a choice and she's made it. Now I have to somehow learn to live without her, only I don't know how…"_ His voice cracked with emotion as he spoke.

Leah looked at him, her eyes filled with compassion, something she was rarely known for. Jacob had come to her for understanding. Only she knew what he was feeling. Only she had lost the love of her life. When Sam Uley had imprinted on her cousin Emily, it had devastated Leah's heart. Sam had been everything to her.

Jacob took her hand and asked her the most important of questions. _"How did you do it Leah? How did you get over losing Sam?"_ Leah looked up at the vulnerable man before her and hid the pain that threatened to surface. The pain she lived with everyday. She hesitated before answering him deciding the truth was better than a lie filled with false hope. _"I never did… I just got better at hiding the pain."_

A look of guilt crossed Jake's already pained face. He'd come to this woman for comfort and understanding only to find that she was hurting too. His wounds were fresh, hers were old scars but both were bleeding inside. Suddenly Jake realized that what they both needed was to lose themselves from the pain. To lose themselves in a way that only a man and woman could be lost together.

He no longer wanted to think of Nessie. Thoughts of her and her betrayal brought unwanted tears to his eyes. Instead he thought of Leah and the years of pain that Sam's betrayal had brought her. Slowly Jacob reached out to let his hand graze softly down her jaw. A faint blush crossed Leah's face as she looked into his dark gaze. They could both feel the tremendous heat in the air around them.

Leah drank in his musky aroma as his lips captured hers. His hands entangled in her inky black hair as he pulled her closer to him. She was completely lost, lost to the power of a man's desire. No matter what the consequences, she wanted and needed this. The unbearable loneliness had haunted her for so long that she was helpless to resist his touch. She was drowning in a pool of desire as Jake's embrace grew more heated with want.

Leah lay across the bed, provocatively undoing the buttons on her blouse. She lay there with her body exposed before him and Jacob was amazed by her dark sensuous beauty. Why had he never before noticed how attractive Leah was? Why had he allowed Nessie to cloud his mind? Had the imprinting truly taken away his right to choose? Tonight he was choosing to lose himself in this beautiful woman as she offered herself up to him. To hell with the repercussions.

He hovered over Leah allowing his hands to caress every alluring curve of her body. _"My God Leah… your so beautiful… Sam Uley is such a fool."_ he whispered huskily to her. She let out a soft purr of contentment as she pulled his lips back to hers. He fed hungrily on her kisses, reveling in the softness of her skin. Leah could feel his aching need for her through the thin material of his shorts.

When they were both completely naked, she wrapped her legs possessively around Jacob's waist. He pushed roughly into her. Tonight, there was no need for gentleness as they let their animalistic side take over. Jacob pumped furiously into the recesses of her beautiful body. She moaned with pleasure at each powerful thrust, not caring if anyone else in the house heard her. They were both caught in a web of lustful need. As they teetered on the edge of ecstasy, she let his name slip sensually from between her lips. Jacob growled with his own pleasure as he spilled himself within her.

They both fell wearily into the safety of each others embrace. Tonight they held tight to one another, pushing the heartache back. Using the sensual bliss surrounding them to forget.. Tomorrow would come soon enough, bringing with it the pain that would once again burn bright within them both.


	7. Jacob Makes A Choice

**The Imprint Of Love: Chapt. 7 (Jacob Makes A Choice) by HPFangirl71**

**A/N: I havent written in any of my chapter stories in a really long time but wanted to finish them up so I finally decided to add to this one. Its been a long time since I started these stories so my writing style may have changed and grown a bit so please bear with me. I now know how to write conversations better so I hope that makes things better to read too. Sorry its a bit short though... I had wanted it to be a bit longer but to have it end the way I wanted it to, this is what I ended up with.**

Jacob awoke the next morning; turning his head, he saw Leah lying comfortably next to him. He didn't remember falling asleep at all but was glad he had actually stayed the night. He reached out and gently pushed Leah's dark hair from off her face. She looked amazingly beautiful. Suddenly he had an overwhelming need to feel her close.

As he pulled Leah in tight to his chest, her woodsy wolf scent overwhelmed his senses and brought him a wave of tremendous guilt. Renesmee's scent had a more flowery sweetness to it. As Leah snuggled closer to him, he pushed the guilt angrily aside. The imprint was the only thing making this feel wrong. Last night, fueled by hurt and betrayal as he'd been, he had found his night with Leah to be magical and right.

This morning he bitterly realized that he had wasted the past ten years of his life all because of some stupid wolf imprint. He'd waited all that time… and for what? So Nessie could grow up and choose another…? He pushed all thoughts of her from his mind. Now was not the time to dwell on things he had no power over.

He heard Leah stirring next to him and automatically tightened his grip on her shoulder. She looked up at him, wearing a sleepy half smile.

"Jake you're still here." she whispered into his ear.

"Yeah I'm still here." he grumbled "Don't go getting all mushy and girly on me Leah."

"You didn't seem to mind how girly I acted last night." she replied with a glint of challenge in her eyes.

"Yeah, Yeah." he said with a genuine smile on his face.

He leaned down to nuzzle his nose along her jaw and caught the heady aroma of the woods once again upon her skin only this time it felt inviting.

Jacob's fingers tangled into her dark hair as he pulled her closer and kissed her deeply. Leah's arms instinctively moved to embrace him as the kiss lingered on. Suddenly, she moved away, rolling to the side.

"We can't do this Jake." she said a bit reluctantly.

"Oh come on Leah! Why not? You didn't seem to have a problem with it last night. What makes this morning any different?" Jacob said in exasperation.

He had a raging hard-on just from that kiss alone and it irritated him that she had pulled away.

"Last night you caught me off guard but you love Nessie." Leah stated blankly.

Jacob seethed with rage at the mere mention of Nessie. He was hurting deep inside but refused to admit it.

"The imprinting makes me love her! I should have the right to choose." he spat out bitterly.

Leah glared at him angrily.

"And you would choose me Jake? You don't even like me!" She yelled at him.

Her words stung but Jake was determined.

"I never said I didn't like you Leah. I just never understood you… now I do."

Tenderly his fingers raked down across her shoulder.

"When I left the Cullen's I came right to you. You were the only one I thought to turn to. It must mean something. Don't push me away Leah, not like you do everyone else."

His voice was a low whisper, filled with pent up emotions. Leah felt the unshed tears that were fighting to get out.

"I just don't know if I can take the chance." she said hurriedly.

She glanced down, not able to look Jake in the eye as she spoke.

"I mean… I'll always be second best, won't I Jake?"

Jacob took her chin in his hand and raised her eyes level to his.

"Leah if we do this, I promise that you will never be treated like you're second to anyone. I couldn't and I won't do that to you."

The dam broke from within as tears flooded down her face. Jake pulled her into his warm embrace, stroking the back of her hair and giving her reassurance. Eventually her sobs ended and that's when the sparks between them caught afire. The kisses seemed to come so powerfully natural that they both soon fell prey. Already naked, it was only a matter of moments before Jake found himself within her moist heat again. With every thrust, they were forging a new understanding and commitment. Leah was letting someone break down the many walls she had put up around her heart, while Jake was finally letting go of the imprint in order to make his own choices…


End file.
